Datacolor Celebrates Women in Photography
Meet Meg Loeks

Meet Meg Loeks

Meg lives in rural West Michigan with her husband and three little boys. She loves spending time outdoors, and ventures outside with her children almost every day. She finds it both comforting and soothing to get out and explore. Meg enjoys each of the seasons Michigan has to offer, summer the least and fall and winter the most. She has been snowboarding for 17 years and love to snowshoe. She also enjoys baking over cooking, and will wait till the last possible minute to make dinner but not hesitate to whip up a pie at any time of day.

Meg’s photography journey started when she was young with film. She made the switch to digital during her college years. She became a Clickin Moms member in early 2014 and has been learning and growing with a wonderful group of ladies since. In 2015 she became a CMPro and in 2016 joined the CM team as a mentor. In the winter of 2016 Meg released her breakout: The Sincere Storyteller. She also teaches the workshop: Finding the Classic Beauty In Your Everyday. Meg is drawn to low light, fine art, portraiture, color, and minimalism.

How did you get your start in photography?

My love of photography started when I was little. I saved every copy of the National Geographic magazine that was delivered to my parents’ house. I shot with a Pentax film camera which I still have today. I loved spending my lunches developing the film in my school’s dark room.

What type of photography are you shooting and what motivated you to focus on that genre?

I mainly shoot lifestyle and environmental portraiture. The motivation for this type of photography is my family. My favorite subjects are my three boys and I feel that lifestyle is a natural course.

Did you experience any challenges as a woman entering into the photography market?

I don’t feel that I have experienced any challenges specifically as a woman. It’s a heavily saturated field and I face daily challenges, none of which I feel are related to my gender.

What has been your biggest achievement or obstacle along the way?

My biggest achievement has to be finding my style. It wasn’t a specific moment that it happened but developed over a period of about a month, right after taking a course through Click Photo School. Finding my style was worth more to me than any award I have ever received.

Who and/or what inspires you most?

Both my children and nature inspire me. I try to intertwine the two as much as possible. I’m drawn to childhood nostalgia and simpler times, and really try to make that shine in my work.

What is your approach? Is there anything in particular you try to achieve during a shoot (for example triggering certain feelings, etc.) or are there any specific techniques you use?

I often describe my work as colorful, peaceful and warm. I’m drawn to rich colors and low light. I really try to make that shine. More than anything I’m drawn to emotion and as I mentioned before nostalgia. I often feel a pull to photograph things that resonate with my own childhood.

Why is accurate color important within your workflow?

It all comes down to printing for me. It’s important that what I’m seeing on my computer screen is exactly what will be printed and hung on my walls.

Any tips or advice for photographers just beginning their career?

The best advice I can give is to experiment. If you haven’t found your style yet study artists who you love. Discover what it is about their work that you are drawn to. Push yourself to experiment with shooting and editing. If time allows, take classes and receive constructive criticism. I try and take about three photography workshops a year. The critiques to me are one of the most important factors in my personal growth.